Leaving home: coworkers reap benefits of office use

Photo: Jane Hanks

Every edition we assess an emerging aspect of French zeitgeist. This month: freelancers who share office space, by Jane Hanks

Coworking is becoming an increasingly popular way to work, so that even if someone is self-employed they can leave home to go to the office where they can meet up with other people, both socially and for business contacts. They will rent a place in a shared office, instead of working from home or renting expensive premises.

The concept and the word coworking was used for the first time in 1999, by Bernie de Koven, an American game designer and it quickly took off in Anglo-Saxon countries.